Potato stringing machine



, Nov. 21, 1933. E. G. TRAINOR ET AL.

POTATO STRINGING MACHINE Filed Jan. 5, 1931 INVENTORS Edward 6: TrainarWarren L. Sc/zauZ BY THEIR ATTORNEYS wand W iq Patented Nov. 21, 1933 I1,936,180 POTATO 'STRINGING MACHINE Edward G. Trainor, New York,- N. Y.,and Warren L. Schaub, North Plainfield, N. J.; said Schaub assignor tosaid Trainer Application January 5, 193LQSerial-No. 506,560.

Claims.

This invention relates to potato stringingmachines. Among the objects ofour invention is the provision of a mechanism for cutting potatoes intolong strips or strings, or sticks, for slicing 5 the potato andsplitting the slice substantially simultaneously, for performing thestringing or stick cutting operation at a very high rate of speed, andfor delivering the stringed potatoes or potato sticks automatically outof the machine.

Another object is the provision of highly efficient mechanism which isinexpensive to manufacture, certain of operation, easy to repair, andfree of vibratory motion.

Other objects will appear from'the following description taken inconnection with the drawing,

in which Fig. 1 is a side view of the potato stringing machineconstructed in accordance with our invention; r

Fig. 2 is an end view looking toward the left in- Fig. 1; v

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2; a 1 p 1 Fig.4is a section of a cutter carrying drum;

Fig. 5 is a detailed side view of a portion of the drum showing one formof cutter; and

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing another form of cutter.

As shown in Fig. 1 the machine may include any suitable form of frame ortable 10 which may include a shelf '11 on which may be mounted anelectric motor which may be used as the prime mover ofthe machine.Motion from the motor may be conveyed by a belt 13 to a shaft 14 mountedin suitable bearings 15 supported on the top of the frame or table 10. YAs shown in Fig. 1' the shaft 14 extends beyond theright hand end of theframe or table 10 and has connected thereto by any suitable means acutter carrying drum ;16, Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. This drum may beprovided with one or more, for example four, longitudinally extendingslots 17 which are preferably arranged at an angle to the radius of thedrum; as shown in Fig. 4. The outer edges of the walls of the slots 17are provided with saw cuts in which may be mounted short cutting orslice splitting blades 18 suitably supported therein, as illustrated indetail in Fig. 5. These blades may take the form indicated at 18' inFig. 6 or any suitable form, and the blades may be held in the saw cutsin any desired manner.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the blades 18 are provided with edges 19against which a slicing blade 20 may be held by screws as shown in Figs.

shaped feeding block 2'7 carried by a slide 28 to be integral with acylindrical housing 32 or may be secured thereto by any suitable means.

4, 5 and 6. In this construction the screws function to hold the slicingblade 20 on the cylinder 16, the blade 20 in turn functioning to holdthe blades 18 in the saw cuts in the cylinder. By means ofthisconstruction the blades 20 and 18 may be readily removed forpurposes of repair or replacement by merely removing the screws whichattach the blade 20 to the cylinder.

The potatoes to be sliced and stringed are preferably placed inachannel-shaped feeding trough 25, Figs. 1 and 2, which is preferablysupported on a'bracket 26 secured to the frame or table 10 in anysuitable manner. The potatoes may be fed to the cutterblades by means ofa crescent which it may be securedby any suitable means, as indicated.The slide 28 operates in guide members 29 and 30, of which the guidemember 30 may be directly secured to the bracket 26. The

guide member 29 may be secured to the trough 25 and also to an upperguiding or hood member 31,the left hand end of which is secured to theguide member 30. The members 25 and 31 may The left hand portion of thehousing shown v in Fig. 1 is provided with an opening'through' which thepotatoes may be fed by means of the feeding block 27. The right handside of the housing 32, as indicated in-Figs. 1 and 2, may be opentoform'a delivery passage for the stringed potatoes or potato" sticksproduced by this machine and this opening maybe formed by cutting aportion of the cylinder as at 33 and bending out'a portion of'thecylinder to produce a deflector 34 which will control the delivery ofthe stringed potatoes orpotato sticks in the direction indicated by thearrow in Fig. 2Jdownwardly into any suitable receptacle that may beplaced below the delivery opening.-

As shown in Figs. 1 and Zthe portion 34 may be secured by means of anangle iron 35 to a side wall of the member 25 and the right hand end ofthe drum may be provided with spokes 36, as indicated in'Figs. 1, 2 and3, which may carry a hub 100 3'7 freely supported on the outer end ofthe shaft 14.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the hub 37 may be extended to the left withinthe drum 16 and may be provided with a spiral blade 38 which functions 5to move the potato strings or sticks to the right, Fig. 3, in the partof the casing '32 on the right of the cutting mechanism.

Upon inspection of Figs. 4, 5 and 6 it is obvious, Of course, that theblades 18 and the blade 20 110 may be corrugated to produce strings orsticks having corrugated sides, if so desired, or these blades may begiven any other suitable fancy form.

Certain or all of the blades 18 may be removed for the purpose ofcutting rectangular sticks or -H.

While in the drawing disclosed the strings or sticks produced aresubstantially square in cross section it is obvious that the knives maybe so mounted and arranged that the strings or sticlgs or slicesproduced will be of rectangular, triangular, or of any other crosssectional form, U H

The machine is set in operation by closing a circuit to the motor andisjp rrab1ysnves at a high rate of speed. The potatoes are placed in thefeeding trough 25 after the feeding block 27 has been moved to the left,Fig. 2',' by means of the handle shown in this figure. The handle isthen pushed toward the right and the potato mare a nsti e tte ar in dr ms e drumis rotated counter-clockwise, as shown in Fig. 2 Theblade ncesmepotato which is dire t vth an u pd ti i 9 the blade across the blades l8and through the slots 17 into the in erim 0 ,thecut e' c r in num- A t edrum continues its movern ent the potato strings or sticlrsare carriedwith it and are moved to- Ward theright in Fig. 3 by the stationaryspiral blade 38 which i s constructedso as to deliver all of the stringsor stickscut during an operation of any oneof the assemblies of bladeslS and 20, outside of the cutting cylinder lo before the same s mbly maks. the n x gu ti op r n,- A he rin d potatoes re il s ckslf ve th temaryms u l thev a e rqwn utse rally nst the l t anden f. theme 1 1 82. ndqnt ue lathe e a di ect on Q th movement, iven o h m, by themq ement f.t lat e um n ilth re hfi e eli er pa'ea e when they follow the directionor the deflector 3e, Figs. 1' and 2, and are delivered out of themachine, U WIN V v.It is thus seen that we haveprovided a highlyefficient machine which is simplein construction and free of allvibratorymovements M It is, to be understood that a particularmechanism. has been shown and described in detail merely for the purposeof disclosure of the invention, and that the terms of the claims arenotto be limited by .the disclosureas it is obvious to those. skilledinthis art, after having become familiar with. this invention, thatotherembodiments or mechanisms within the spirit of this invention couldbe .used. While the embodiment of the invention disclosed has beendescribed as a'potato stringing machine, it is obvious that thep'rinciplesor" the invention are applicable to stringing othervegetables, and fruits and various materials.

What is claimed is:-

1. The combination of a rotary cutter carrying drum provided with a slotextending longitudinally of the drum and at an angle to the radius ofthe drum, stringing cutter blades located in diametrical planes andmounted transversely Qf. saidsl ts w th t t n d s @Xtendingtangentiallylof the cylinden' and a slicing cutter blade mounted on saidcylinder with its cutting edge in advance of the rear wall of said slotand having the lower face adjacent the cutting edge extendingsubstantially parallel to the rear wall of said slot; 1

2. The ccnrbination of a rotary cutter carrying drum provided witl'iaslot extending longitudinally of th'cf drumcthe side walls of the slotbeing provided with aligned cross cuts providing seats, stringing cutterblades located in said seats, and a slicing cutter blade secured to saidcylinder with its" cutting edge extending over said slot and wi its Q rPI i n in emaq vi h a d tr new 7' bl d and ei st' iine, ns. f r l n i trn n cu er bl j in sa s a s 3. The combination or a rotary euttercfaryins drum provided withia sl'ot e'xte'njdi'ng lon'g'itufdina'lly of thedrum, the outer edges; of the walls, of the" slot and th outer surfaceof the cylinder being provided with cross c'u'ts' provid'ing' seats,stringingcutter blades "ated in said cross cuts and b ld a a s ad l neam r me'vement of said seats, sgslicis'gdutterb ein c mm. w th s t inomra s and means for detachably securing said slicing cutter s to. a dqy n e 4 The ebmbi i t r a new v d t slicing cutters mounted on saidcyliiiderafeeding trough,

m ans for directingthe slices into the interior of th c n e a ylme edhel c b a llecate d Within the cylinder and operating as thfe QYHQQ i$TQ fi dtq q f slices QWi p one end of the cylinder, said bladecomprising one (201} e 2 3 5 F P Ph. i 9 h Q l der, and means forsecuring said blade in pb siticn with its inner end adjacent the otherend of the it.

5. The combination of a ratar cylinder, slicing c tt rs m u t d. n sa dy i r a i' trough, means for directing the slices iritothe interior ofthe cylinder, a fixedly mounted helical b ade hea ed W th n he cylinder,am w ar a the cylinder is rotated to deliver the slices out through oneend of the cylinder, said blade compr s i ene e 1 of a ia e equal tothat c mec l cl mean p 'ew sa dbl ei position withits inner endadjace'nt the other end of the cylinder, a stationary casing idr s aidcylind ex end n eyo on a d of th yl nde afid a delivery opening in saidleigtended portion adjacent the outer end of said blade. I EDWARD G.,TBAINQR.

WARREN L. SCI-IAUB.

